Working Up A Sweat
by Beckles1987
Summary: Gene goes in search of Alex when she stays behind on her first Friday back at work. Whatever it was that he expected, it wasn't what he found. Slight spoilers for 3x01. Galex.
1. Chapter 1

**Just something i came up with after seeing series 3 episode 1.**

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At five past six the door to Gene's office was swung wide open. Everybody was braced for a bollocking or being told they would be staying late, so what the Guv actually said came as something of a relief.

"Right, piss off you lot. It's gone beer o'clock and I'm gaspin'." Gene scanned the room and saw almost a dozen blokes with dodgy hair scrambling for the exit before he changed his mind, but no Bolly. Bugger. WPC Granger, being the dedicated sort, well more dedicated than the men that had practically run out of the room, was still fannying around at her desk. "Shaz! Did Drake tell you where the bloody hell she was going before she left?"

"I think she's just gone to the ladies Guv. She said she was staying a bit to catch up with things." Or to avoid yours bloody truly. Gene didn't blame Alex for not relishing the prospect of socialising with him and from the way Shaz had been acting towards him and his newly recovered DI, it was perfectly clear whose side she was on. Not that he was all that surprised. Female solidarity and all that.

"Well…I was going to buy her a drink but if she wants to stay late and do paperwork on her first Friday back then who am I to stop her." Shaz turned around and gave him as sharp a look as she dared.

"Guv! She was in a coma less than a week ago."

"Calm down you dozy mare. I'm not havin' her put herself back in hospital. She's not over the road in an hour, I'll fetch her meself. Bugger the paperwork." The sharpness left and was replaced by relief and gratitude.

"Thanks Guv." Jesus he even got a smile.

"Don't thank me Shaz. You're keeping my glass full for the next hour. Punishment for being such a lippy bint."

"Small price to pay Guv."

"Not with the amount I can knock back." Shaz didn't reply but thought that the Guv looking out for DI Drake, looking out for her properly, was worth more than money, more than the money even he could possibly drink in an hour.

In the end she didn't even have to spend that much. The Guv left early, after spending most of his drinking time surreptitiously watching the door. Ray and Chris remained oblivious as usual but Luigi caught her eye. They shared a knowing smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Deweynumbers, MontyPythonFan and sash queen of the jungle for their reviews. You get some Galex in this chapter but I don't know if I'd call it soppy.**

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Just over forty-five minutes after leaving the place, Gene was back in CID. Alex wasn't. Nor was she in the evidence room, the records room, or the canteen. He was just about to check the ladies locker room when he saw that Viv was at his desk.

"Oi Skip, missing woman…brown hair, five ten, bit of a looker, likes wine, psychiatry and pissing me off. You seen her?" It didn't take crossword master long to figure out who this missing woman was.

"Last time I saw DI Drake she was leaving the locker room, heading for the gym."

"The _gym_?!It's Friday!"

"Well she was definitely wearing…gym clothes."

"How the hell does she know where it is? I bloody don't. Never been in my life."

"No, Guv." Viv couldn't quite keep his amusement from showing in his voice and face.

"You watch it or I'll find some drunks to redecorate the cells an' leave you ankle deep in carrot chunks with no help an' no mop."

"Sorry Guv."

After going to every part of the station he never normally had a need to visit, Gene eventually found what he was looking for. The 'gym' was what looked to be a former storeroom and was equipped with an exercise bike, treadmill, free weights and some god awful multi-purpose torture device…and a skipping rope. The only decoration was the clock on the wall and the tape player on the floor, currently belting out electro-pop. On reflection Gene decided that perhaps the lack of mirrored tiles was a blessing, with no shiny surfaces and plenty of noise to cover his approach, his DI had no idea she was being watched.

Viv had been more discrete than Gene had thought, instead of saying Bolly was in 'gym clothes' his sergeant should have said she was in 'bugger all'.

Alex was wearing sky blue football shorts, they'd be too short on a bloke but with legs like hers they were still barely more than hot pants. Any bloke that was daft enough to go into the station's gym on a Friday night would have been treated to as much of an eyeful as they had at Viv's birthday party. For a while Gene didn't notice anything else, as he took full advantage of being able to stare uninterruptedly at her bum and those long legs. Of course he did spot that she was skipping, it made everything…what was the word…_jiggle_.

Some minutes later, after realising he was in danger of losing enough blood from his brain to his crotch to make a significant difference in the fit of his trousers, Gene tore his eyes away from Alex's pert and nearly exposed arse and moved his gaze higher, to the flimsy white t-shirt that clung to her like a second skin and showed a thin slice of the pale flesh of her back, just above her shorts. The neck was so wide it had slipped down one shoulder, exposing the wide purple strap of her sports bra. When he didn't feel the danger lessening Gene realised it was about time he said something.

"Have we died and ended up in the eighth circle of hell or do you just want to look like a heroin addict?" With a resigned sigh Alex dropped the skipping rope and wiped her forehead with the sweatband on her wrist before turning around. She hadn't wanted anybody to find out that she was using the gym, that she wasn't fit for work, so of course it had to be her boss that found her. It had to be Gene that discovered exactly how much weaker she was than normal, how much more pain his mistake had cost her.

"What do you want Guv?" It was a simple enough question but the answer was complicated and nothing Gene wanted to discuss, so he ignored it and asked his own.

"Why are you here when there's a perfectly good – well, borderline adequate - boozer across the road?"

"Because I wanted to exercise, need to actually." Just to emphasise his point, Gene made a show of looking her up and down. The t-shirt was knotted just above her belly-button showing a triangle of flat stomach above her shorts. It didn't quite cling as closely to the front of her body as it had to her back, which was a damn shame, but he could see more of the sports bra, even a hint of cleavage, more than a hint really. In fact, aside from Edgehampton vault, Viv's party, and the prozzie outfit, she'd never looked better. The only criticism he had was that her stretchy white headband looked bloody ridiculous.

Alex cleared her throat. Maybe he'd been looking too long.

"You're not fat Bolly." She rolled her eyes at the notion of vanity being her primary motivating factor.

"I know Guv." Even though some glossy magazines in 2008 would have her think otherwise, would make suggestions to impressionable people that lead to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder. From the way Gene had just used the flimsiest of excuses to have a proper gawp at her, Alex thought she could guess his opinion on the size zero issue with a fair degree of accuracy. He liked boobs too much…now that she came to think of it he wasn't averse to a peachy arse either.

"Why waste your drinking time in this torture chamber? Mine too come to that."

"I was lying on my back doing nothing for three months." She expected, well more liked hoped, Gene wouldn't need any further explanation. Things were awkward enough between them without her rubbing his nose in the fact that she was still far from recovered.

"I'm quite aware of that Alex. Are you going to keep stating the obvious or answer the bloody question?" Resisting the temptation to get angry, Alex tried to think how she'd explain it to Chris.

"The vast majority of my muscles went unused for all that time. They've atrophied…weakened." She looked away, at the wall, at the floor. "I'm not as strong as I need to be." Gene recognised that admission had cost her something, a measure of pride or independence maybe. He took her telling him as a sign of trust and promised himself never to use it against her.

"Who are you trying to kid Bolly? Tough as old boots you are, always have been, always will be."

"Firstly, toughness and strength aren't the same thing. Secondly, you're wrong. If I was stronger I wouldn't need…" Alex paused before she said something one or both of them would regret, like 'a constant'. They still weren't comfortable enough around each other for talk like that, they hadn't regained their previous level of trust. "I wouldn't need to get pissed five nights a week just to cope with everything."

"Thought we'd already covered this. You an' me…we're unbreakable." They had been at one point, or Gene thought they had been. It was obvious they weren't now, they were being too careful of what they said, but with a bit of effort they could be.

Alex gave him a small smile, acknowledging both the lie and the intent behind it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Do you ever wish Kudos/the BBC would bring out Alex and Gene dolls just so you could smush their faces together and make kissy noises? Maybe when you put Gene doll's hand on Alex doll's boob he'd say the fandabbydozy line...wait, where'd everybody go?**

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**Gene tried not to think about why he needed him and Alex to be back to the way they used to be, or even better. He could just about admit that his reasons weren't solely professional, they were already getting on well enough for work, more or less, and there was no shame in wanting somebody to sink a few with after a long day at work. The admission he couldn't make, the truth he couldn't acknowledge, was that his motivation to strengthen the wavering connection they had was far from job-related. It wasn't professional at all, which made it completely personal. That was just too damn close to having personal feelings…which was beyond insane because he'd bloody shot her and she was…well it was never going to happen and that was that. Gene Hunt did not do unrequited.

He'd been quiet for too long again and that clever DI of his was probably trying to work out what he was thinking. The last thing he needed was for Alex to turn into a bloody mind-reader.

"I believe I owe you a drink an' if we don't go now we'll miss last orders."

"It's not that late."

"Are you being insubordinate Drake? Mush!"

"I need to do my cool down and shower first."

"I'll agree you look sweatier than a chubby nonce in a playground in August but what the bloody hell's a cool down?"

"I need to stretch for a few minutes to prevent muscle damage. I'm sure you find it all very tedious but if I don't do it I'll be in pain tomorrow." Stretching? Well that could be interesting viewing.

"Fine. I'll wait. I'm not going back to Luigi's to come back here for you to go back there again. I'm not opposed to a bit of in-and-out but that's taking the piss." He didn't have to personally escort her to the bar but Alex saw no reason to argue the point with him. If he was determined to stand and watch her finish her work out then that was fine with her, she was equally determined not to be put off by his presence.

Knowing her muscles would lock if she stayed still much longer, Alex grabbed the aerobics step from behind the cassette player and started her stretches, putting only the balls of her feet on the step and lowering her heels.

"I dread to think what Chris and Ray are getting up to over the road without a grown-up there to supervise."

"Shaz can handle it."

"I'm sure she can. You know you really should do something about getting her ready for promotion. She's got so much potential, she'll make a brilliant DC."

"Don't nag me woman. I know all about it." He watched her put the step away and pull out a rolled up mat. Oh goody, floor exercises.

Thankful that Ray wasn't the one who was watching her, Alex lay down on the matt and pulled each leg to her chest, holding the position for a while before letting go.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"About what?"

"Shaz."

"I thought I said don't nag."

"I'm not nagging Guv, I'm just interested. I want her to get all the chances she deserves. She could make Super or higher if she's given the right support and opportunities."

"SuperShaz? I'm not taking orders from my ex plonk."

"Well I doubt you'd still be on the job, probably retired abroad by then."

"They'll have to carry me out of CID feet first in a wooden box before I leave the force." Sadly, Alex thought that was probably true. As far as she was aware he had no life to speak of outside of work. Then again, with returning to Molly being completely and utterly impossible, neither had she. All they had, it seemed, was each other. She rolled on to her side and pulled one foot to her bum.

"So have you made any plans or do you want me to see if I-"

"I'm quite capable of doing what's best for my team thank you Bolly."

"It was just a suggestion." Alex swapped legs again.

"You've got quite a soft spot for her 'aven't you?"

"Yes. I've got more soft spots than you realise Gene." He didn't know quite how to take that. Was it a dig at him for calling her a cold bitch or was she telling him she had a soft spot for him? He needed a degree in psychobollocks just to hold a conversation with her. She changed positions again.

"I was going to do something about Granger in the new year, new start an all that…but it never happened."

"It could happen now."

"You're barely off your sick bed."

"You don't need to worry about me Guv. If there's anything I can't do I'll get somebody else to do it, perk of being a senior officer."

"An' that's exactly the kind of attitude I want rubbin' off on an up an' comin' WPC." His mouth went slightly dry as Alex knelt on the matt, put her hands on her heels and leaned back, keeping her arms straight. His mind conjured up all kinds of images while he continued performing covert surveillance of her assets. "Takin' advantage of your postion an'…" she moved again, if it had been any other woman her new pose would have been taken as an invitation to slap her arse at the very least, if not to go the whole hog and slip her shorts down and... "Are you tryin' to give the the 'orn or what Alex?" She clenched her teeth and counted to ten.

"I'm trying to stretch my upper back. How you react is beyond my control."

"That's debateable."

"You're the one indulging your voyeuristic tendencies. I didn't make you watch me. And you'll be happy to know that I've finished with the matt." She stood, flashing him a warning look.

After stretching her biceps against the wall Alex finally did something he recognised as exercise and not foreplay, shoving one hand further down her back by pushing on her elbow with the other. Then she stretched her arms over her head. That was when her t-shirt rode up.

Alex knew the exact moment Gene saw her scar. He looked down, away. She pulled the knot out of her t-shirt and the scar was hidden from view but the damage was done.

"Gene I…" Words failed her. Should she explain, again that she knew he hadn't meant to, would never mean to, or would that just make things worse? Was it better to pretend the elephant in the room hadn't just taken a massive shit right under their noses? Alex dimly recognised that as an expression Gene was more likely to use than her.

"About Shaz's promotion…" Her mind struggled to make the connection for a moment, then she realised what he was doing. Changing the topic of conversation for his own sake and doing something she wanted for hers, still trying to make it up to her without talking about it, apologising without saying 'I'm sorry', so very Gene.

"What about it?"

"I was going to have her work with a senior officer, when she's done all her plonk stuff...shadow them, observe in interviews, do a DC's work under close supervision, that sort of thing."

"Mentoring sounds like a good idea, but…" Alex ran through the list of potential mentors, there was really only one name that didn't sound like a stupid idea. "Are you sure you've got enough time?"

"Me? I'm not doing it."

"Then who?"

"Nice to see that expensive education wasn't a waste. You're going to be her mentor."

"I am?"

"As of right now Shaz is your responsibility. Do what with her what you will." Alex grinned, not just a smile, a full on grin. She had so many plans for Shaz's future and now they'd be coming true thanks to Gene.

"Gene Hunt...if I wasn't so sweaty right now I just might hug you." Really? Gene's eyebrows went up and he struggled to find something to say. The whole thing clearly meant more to Alex than he'd realised.

"Well, uh…I s'pose you should…do something about that then. Shower…" Why the hell did he act like such a twat whenever she was nice to him?

"Right. Shower." He waited by the door while she put the room back the way she found it. By the time she was done Gene had regained his composure.

"Want me to scrub your back?" Alex laughed, even though the thought wasn't exactly abhorrent anymore.

"I don't think that would be appropriate." Appropriate? Gene bloody hoped not.

"I've got a loofah that would get to those hard to reach spots."

"I'm flattered Guv but I'm going to have to decline…when I want your loofah you'll be the first to know."

"I'll be in my office then."

They walked together in comfortable silence as far as the front desk. When their paths diverged Alex pulled the t-shirt off, her skin grateful for the fresh air. Gene saw out of the corner of his eye and saw no reason not push his luck a little.

"Bolly!" Alex turned around and gifted him with a view that only her in lingerie or in nothing at all could better.

"What?"

"Nothin', just checkin'…still not 'undred percent sure if you're a C or a D cup." She looked down at her breasts then gave him that infuriatingly mysterious smile.

"No comment Guv." He watched her walk into the women's locker room and tried not to imagine her in the shower. Footsteps approached from behind the desk.

"Not a word Viv. Not a bloody word."

"Wouldn't dream of it Guv."

Gene was sat in his office with a drink and a fag before it hit him, not only had she almost hugged him…

She'd said when.

Not if.

When.


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